Boise City Wire

U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen led a bipartisan congressional delegation to the 16th annual Halifax International Security Forum. The event gathered national security leaders from around the world to discuss strategic cooperation on global security goals and emphasized the importance of maintaining bipartisan support for U.S. foreign policy.

Risch, who is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, addressed attendees during the opening plenary, stating, “We are in a new era in the world where you have what I call the no-goodniks on one side and the good guys on the other side.” He added that armed conflict is not a viable solution and stressed the need for mutual understanding.

Shaheen, a senior member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, highlighted bipartisan values in foreign policy. She remarked, “The reality is [that] support for Ukraine, support to address the pacing threat from China – those are strong bipartisan values that we agree on.”

Both senators expressed optimism about their discussions at Halifax. Risch noted his increased confidence after attending the forum, while Shaheen found it to be a productive conversation with world leaders about shared challenges.

The delegation included U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Mike Rounds, Tim Kaine, and Congressman Andy Kim. They met with several global figures such as U.S. Ambassador David Cohen and Canadian officials including Minister of National Defence Bill Blair and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.

Risch’s and Shaheen’s plenary session is available on YouTube.